America’s democracy has become a circus

Thursday

Jun 15, 2017 at 12:01 AM

By Steve Corbin

Living in a democracy permits us to enjoy triumphant celebrations while having the fortitude to persevere during troubling times. America’s democracy should not be a circus, but it appears we are moving in that direction.

Having witnessed the current presidential atmospherics during the pre- and post-election and returning from a May 21-June 1 European trip where I visited with people from nine countries about USA’s political environment, all agreed Trump lacks credibility and they can’t trust him or the USA as to what we’ll say or do next.

Shall we continue the bloodletting by Trump foes on this scandal-tarred presidency or is it time to rein in democracy and prove to ourselves and the world the USA is not a circus? It’s time to get serious.

Yes, Trump’s behavioral style is self-serving, controlling and driven by narcissistic dreams of glory. Yes, Trump’s daily press briefings have evolved into a reality TV show: Beat Up the Press.

Yes, of Trump’s 663 campaign promises, he broke 80 of them in his first 100 days in office. Yes, Trump’s promise to “drain the swamp” has turned into his cabinet being the wealthiest in presidential history; $12 billion collective net worth.

Yes, 442 of 556 key Trump administration positions still require Senate confirmation with no nominees identified. Yes, after Michael Dubke resigned as White House communications director, four successors declined to be considered citing the volatile administration has driven candidates away from normally highly coveted West Wing jobs.

Yes, even seasoned Republicans in Congress and conservative journalists are starting to use the word “unfit” for Trump’s presidency, citing he might be unsuitable in terms of judgment, knowledge and personal stability.

Yes, PolitiFact reveals about 5 percent of Trump statements are accurate. Trump falsehoods have become no laughing matter for 326 million Americans, 28 million small businesses, 19,000 corporations and our 224 trading partners.

And finally, yes, not one significant issue confronting Americans, including reformations of health care, tax code, immigration, infrastructure, budget deficit, business regulations, education, urban development and military—changes the country needs—have seen the light of serious Congressional action.

Since America’s democracy and political system should not be made into a circus, intervention with Mr. Trump is needed. The intervention starts with Congress.

The sheer gravity of this circus drama demands our utmost attention. En masse, we must write, email or call (202-224-3121) our Representative and Senators and insist they deliver the following message to Mr. Trump: “Do your job. Stop wasting time on frivolous things like your inane Twitter diatribe statements, visiting any of your 144 companies located in 25 countries and playing golf. Stop carping about the press. Release your tax returns. Request a special prosecutor to investigate campaign-Russia collusion allegations. Ask five Democrat and five Republican House of Representatives and five Democrat and five Republican Senators to meet with you and develop a plan focused on resolving a multitude of issues that affect Americans and our 224 trading partners. Grow up. Act like a leader and not a presidential campaigner. Become an honorable versus embarrassing president as a sense of tragedy is before us, America’s democracy is in jeopardy and we are not a circus act.”

Steve Corbin, Professor Emeritus of Marketing, University of Northern Iowa, is a non-paid freelance opinion editor and guest columnist contributor to 62 Iowa and five out-of-state newspapers. He is a 1966 graduate of Nevada High School.